Supporting means



Jan. 30, 1945. J. NASH SUPPORTING MEANS Filed Jan. 18, 1943 2 sheetssheet 1 Jan. 30, 1945. J. NASH SUPPORTING MEANS Fil ed Jan. 18, 1943 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 30, 1 945 SUPPORTING MEANS James Nash,Sheboygan, Wis., assignor to William H. Murphy, executor of Harry DeLisle, deceased, doing business as Engineering Sales Company, Sheboygan,Wis.

Application January is, 1943, Serial No. 472,723

7 Claims. (01. 311--36) This invention relates generally to a new andimproved supporting means, and more particularly to a supporting meansof the adjustable type, such as is used in drafting table constructionfor instance.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel and simplifiedadjustable supporting structure for drafting tables or similar objectswhich facilitates adjustability while retaining great sturdiness.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novelsupporting means adapted to be used in a drafting table or like objectswhich eliminates play or weaving in any direction without sacrificingready adjustability.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an improvedsupporting mechanism for use with draftingtables which permits positiveheight adjustment while preventing slipping or accidental moving ofparts when once adjusted.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improveddrafting table or like object having the above advantages, which isreadily assembled and disassembled.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel supportfor drafting tables or the like, having some or all of the abovefeatures, which is easy to manufacture, which employs a minimum ofparts, and which therefore may be constructed at low cost.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a noveldrafting table or like object, embodying the above features which iswell adapted to be shipped in easily assembled subassemblies, thesubassemblies being well adapted for shipment in a minimum of space.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear morefully from the following description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings in which similar characters of references refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 shows in prespective a drafting table which embodies features ofmy invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of the support illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is generally a view of the portion illustrated in Fig. 2 as seenfrom the opposite side. It may be considered as a vertical sectionalview taken along lines 3--3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of thearrows;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view takenalong lines 4-4 of Fig. 1looking in the direction downwardly as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal medial sectional view taken in the direction ofthe arrows along the line 55 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the base as itmight appear at the time of assembly.

Prior drafting tables with which I am familiar that have sufiicientrigidity have been constructed in such a manner as to include many crossbraces and supplemental supports, all of which have been found advisablein order to prevent the table from wobbling and weaving. Due to the manycross braces and supplemental supports, the ready adjustmentand assemblyand disassembly of such tables have been comparatively difficult. Suchconstruction has also necessitated relatively high manufacturing costs.An inspection of such prior tables also discloses that they areunwieldly and unsightly.

When the adjustable supporting means of my invention is employed indrafting tables, many of the braces, cross members and supplementalsupports heretofore so commonly used are unnecessary. Further, tablesconstructed according to the present invention are light, easy toadjust. readily assembled and disassembled, and extremely sturdy.

Referring now to the drawings and more spe cifically to Fig. 1, l0indicates a drafting table which in general comprises a top 12, uprightsI l and IS, a spreader l8, and leg units 20 and 22. The table top I2 ispivotally secured to the upper ends of the uprights l4 and l 6 by meansof brackets (not shown), the brackets being attached to the under sideof the top and in turn being piv-' oted to the upper ends of theuprights l4 and i6, upon long bolts passed through the uprights andbrackets. This arrangement permits the table top to be tilted to anyposition from the horizontal to the vertical in either direction.

In the lower portion of each of the uprights l4 and extending slot 26cut centrally, through the upright from side to side. the length ofwhich is determined by the degree of vertical adjusta-' bility desired,as will become apparent presently. It will be noted upon examination ofFig. 3 that there is provided a plug or dowel 23 which is adapted to beinserted into a socket 25. These last members are employed to keep thetwo prongs provided by the slot 26 from springing inwardly. Further,each of the generally rectangular uprights l4 and is have their outeredges beveled to provide a substantially V-shaped surface 28.

The spreader 18 comprises a. pair of boards 30 and 3|, which are securedtogether in spaced Hi, there is provided a longitudinally parallelrelation by means of screws 29 passed through the boards and intospacers 32. The spacers 32 are located inwardly from the ends of theboards sufficiently to permit the boards to be somewhat springy towardand away from each other. At each of .the free ends of the spreader I8,the inner surfaces of the boards 30 and SI are secured to a pair ofblocks 33 and 34, or 35 and 36. The boards 38 and 3| are secured to theblocks 33 to 36 inclusive, by means of screws 38 (Fig. 4). The innerfaces of each pair of blocks 33 and 34, or 35 and 36 are beveled so asto provide surfaces 40 generally complementary to the faces 28 of theuprights I4 and I6.

The leg units 20 and 22 each comprise a pair of generally triangularshaped members 42 and 44, a plate 24, which in the present instance ismade of wood, and a brace 46. The triangular shaped leg members 42 and44 are secured with their outer faces against the plate 24 by. means ofseveral screws 48. The plate 24 isgenerally rectangular in shape, havingits upper corners 45 and 41 cut off to coincide with the outer edges ofthe leg members 42 and 44, principally for reasons of appearance.

The brace 46, as best seen in Fig. 6, extends between the legs 42 and 44of the leg units 20 and 22 and is secured to the legs 42 and 44 byscrews I on the side of the legs opposite to where the block 24 issecured. It should also be noted that the brace 46 is positioned asubstantial distance below the upper edge of the leg units or 22 for thereason that the brace forms an additional support for the legs 42 and 44and, in addition, when the adjustable supporting means of my inventionis assembled relieves the strain placed on the uprights I4 and I6 due tothe weight which may be placed upon the table top l2.

Locking member 66 (Fig. 5) which is used to lock the uprights I4 and I6,spreader I8 and leg units 20 and 22 together, comprises an elongatedmember 6! provided with a pair of bolt holes 62 adapted to receive apair of bolts 63, having threaded ends 64 adapted to receive nuts 65.The manner in which the locking member 60 secures the aforementionedparts together will be better understood from the description to follow.

Secured to the forward end of the table top I2 (Fig. l) and extendingbetween the table top and legs 4?. of leg units 20 and 22, there isprovided a supplemental adjusting means for adjusting the table top I2and securing the same at any desired angle. The supporting means 52 ispivotally secured at its upper end to a bracket (not shown) by means ofbolts which extend through the member 52 and through the bracket. At thelower end the brackets are secured to legs 44 of leg units 20 or 22 bymeans of screws which permit free movement of the means 52 from thevertical toward the horizontal in either direction.

The supporting means 52 comprises a hollow tubular member 54 which isadapted to receive a shaft 55. The tubular member 54 has a greaterinterior diameter than the outer diameter of the shaft 56, so that theshaft 55 can freely slide in the tubular member 54. Near the upper endof the tubular member 54 there is provided a screw threaded bore 59which is adapted to receive a screw threaded means 58. The member 58will bear with its forward end against the shaft 56 and prevent theshaft from sliding in the inside of the tube 54 when the threaded member58 is drawn tight in the bore 58. Thus by the use of the screw member 58it is possible for the user of the table to secure the top I2 at anydesired angle.

The assembly and operation of my adjustable supporting means will now bedescribed: The spreader I8 is first positioned in the box portion 50,provided by the legs 40, 42, braces 46 and block 24.' The lower ends ofthe uprights I4 and I6 are then passed between the boards 30 and 3| ofthe spreader I8 in such a fashion that the beveled edges of theblocks'33 and 34, or 35 and 36, are in face to face relationship withthe beveled edge 28 of the uprights I4 and I6. The locking member 60 isthen placed in position and the bolts 63 are passed outwardly throughthe slot 26 in uprights I4 or I6, bolt holes 66 provided by each pair ofblocks 33 and 34, or 35 and 36, and through holes 62 in block 24. Atthis point it is believed desirable to call attention to the fact thatit has been found best when first assembling the table to have the lowerends of the uprights I4 and I6 resting upon the floor and then justprior to drawing the nuts 65 tight on the bolt 63 to raise the uprightsto the desired height.

When the nuts 65 are drawn tight on the bolt 63, the V-shape edge 28 ofthe uprights I4 or I6 will wedge inwardly between the blocks 33 and 34,or 35 and 36, and cause the blocks to move the outer ends of the boards30 and 3I of the spreader I8 outwardly and against the end III of thelegs-40 and 42.

The tighter the nuts are drawn, the stronger the wedging action betweenthe uprights, blocks and leg units. From the above description it willbecome apparent that the new and improved adjustable supporting meansforming the basis of my invention provides a maximum support for a tabletop or the like, and that the arrangement is such that it provides greatsturdiness, at the same time eliminating the many cross braces,supplemental supports and the like which were heretofore used in theconstruction of drafting tables. It will also be apparent that the tableis easily assembled or disassembled, and when assembled can be adjustedto any predetermined height or angle desired.

What I claim is:

1. In a drafting table, the combination of a pair of uprights, a crossmember having bifurcated ends adapted to be wedged outwardly, saiduprights being adapted to extend downwardly through said cross memberand adjacent to said bifurcated ends, complementary beveled edges onsaid uprights and bifurcated ends, leg units, and means for wedging thebeveled edge of said uprights between the bifurcated ends of said crossmember to wedge said cross member outwardly against a portion of saidleg units and to secure said leg units, cross member and uprightstogether, to prevent relative movement of said last mentioned members inany direction.

2. In a drafting table having a table top, the combination of a crossmember having bifurcated ends adapted to be wedged outwardly, a pair ofuprights slidably associated with said cross member to permit raisingand lowering of said uprights with respect to said cross member,complementary beveled edges on said uprights and bifurcated ends, leunits, and means for wedging said uprights between the bifurcated endsof said cross member to move said cross member outwardly against aportion of said leg units and to secure said uprights, cross member andleg units together, to prevent relative movement of said members in anydirection.

3. An adjustable supporting means for a table top comprising a crossmember, said cross member having bifurcated ends, a pair of uprightsslidably associated with said cross member, leg units, and means forcausing said uprights to wedge said bifurcated ends outwardly againstsaid leg units and to secure said uprights, cross member and leg unitstogether, to prevent relative movement of said members in any direction.

4. An adjustable supporting means for a table top comprising a crossmember having bifurcated ends, a pair of uprights slidably associatedwith said cross member to permit raising and lowering of said uprightswith respect to cross member, complementary beveled edges on saiduprights and bifurcated ends, leg units, and means for wedging thebeveled edges of said uprights between the bifurcated ends of said crossmember to cause the ends of said cross members to move laterallyand'abut against a portion of said leg units and secure said uprights,cross member and leg units together to prevent relative movement of saidlast mentioned members in any direction.

5. An adjustable supporting means for atable top comprising a crossmember having bifurcated ends, a pair of uprights, a beveled edge oneach of said uprights, complementary beveled edges on the bifurcatedends of said cross member, said uprights bein slidably associated withsaid cross member to permit the raising and lowering of said uprights,leg units, said leg units comprising a pair of legs, a block forsecuring said legs together, a brace secured to the opposite side ofsaid legs to said block and positioned a substantial distance below thetop edge of each of said leg units, a pocket formed by said legs, blockand brace adapted to receive the bifurcated ends of said cross member,and means for causing said uprights to wedge said bifurcated endsoutwardly against the vertical walls of said pocket and to secure saiduprights, cross member and leg units together, to prevent relativemovement of said last mentioned members in any direction.

6. An adjustable supporting means comprising an upstanding member, asecond member slidably associated with said upstanding member to permitthe raising and lowering of said upstanding member with respect to saidsecond member, a leg unit, means forming a seat in said leg unit toreceive an end of said second member, and means for wedgin saidupstanding member and said second member together and for wedging saidsecond member against the walls of the seat of said leg unit. said meanssecuring said members and said leg unit together to prevent relativemovement therebetween.

7. An adjustable supporting means for a table top or the like,comprising a pair of spaced'apart upstanding members, a second memberconnecting said first members and formed with openings at both ends toreceive said first members, said first members being slidably associatedwith said second member through said openings to permit the raising andlowering of each of said first members with respect to said secondmember, leg members extending upwardly to contact the outer sides of thesecond member, and means for wedging said first members against thewalls of the openings in said second member with the second member incontact with the upper por-' tions of the leg members to secure saidmembers together.

JAMES NASH.

